46 THE NATICAS. 



short work of his victim. A high-handed proceed- 

 ing, no doubt ; but then, it contrasts rather favorably 

 with our way of opening clams and oysters. 



The size of this shell varies greatly with its age 

 and conditions. Specimens have been found as large 

 as six-inch globes, but such giants are not common. 

 They are ordinarily the size of average apples. The 

 color is yellowish white and the form spheroidal; the 

 surface is nearly smooth, the operculum horny, and 

 the umbilicus large. This figure was drawn from a 

 specimen collected at Olympia, Washington Terri- 

 tory. 



A somewhat similiar species, which also lives in 

 northern waters, may be distinguished by its closed 

 umbilicus and shelly operculum. Its name is A'atica 

 clausa^ Brod. and Sby. , Nat^-i-ca clau'-sa. 



Neverita Rechtziana^ Petit, Ne-ver'-i-ta Re-cluz-i- 

 an'-a, shown in Fig. 26, is a southern species, more 

 smooth and less globular than 

 the last, and is easily deter- 

 mined by the thick, heavy 

 patch of enamel which extends 

 down the columella, and nearly 

 or quite fills the umbilicus. 

 The shell is very solid and 

 strong. In color it varies 

 between brown and white. Its 

 ^'^" ^^' average length is perhaps two 



inches, though many specimens are smaller. 



The last three species, all of which belong to the 

 Natica family, have strong, heavy shells, and grow 

 to a large size. A very pretty shell belonging to the 

 same family is probably found occasionally on our 

 southern coast, though its real home is still farther 



